Tent City no stranger to Wooster police blotter

Incident reports show a number of calls to community with small population

By STEVEN F. HUSZAIStaff WriterPublished: August 31, 2014 4:00AM

WOOSTER -- When news of a community living in tents under the Madison Avenue bridge first entered the public's eye, several people rushed food, clothes and other items down to Tent City in order to help take care of people staying there.

But after years of interactions and learning of how people actually live down on the banks of the Little Apple Creek, the picture is muddied as many down at Tent City have refused assistance, or do not qualify due to criminal histories.

"They are not destitute," said Mayor Bob Breneman, of the individuals who live at Tent City, as many residents visit food establishments and have TVs, iPads and cell phones. "They are not there for a need-based reason."

And many services have been provided to people down there.

But there are several who reside at Tent City because they have no where else to go, as places such as Salvation Army do not take individuals with convictions for violent crimes or are sex offenders.

It's difficult to obtain a solid figure for the number of people who are at Tent City at any given time. But the fact remains while church and youth groups visit the property in attempts to help, many people there have violent criminal pasts or the capacity for violence, including Tent City's self-proclaimed "chief," according to police reports of calls to the property since 2011.

'Most people

are too afraid...'

That was the case with a dispute between Roger Dale Adkins, the "chief" of Tent City, and Travis Daugherty, who Adkins called a "plant" into the property to "intimidate and discredit the mission" in a 10-page manifesto Adkins produced after the saga and circulated around Wooster.

The first incident between Daugherty and Adkins was Jan. 26, 2013, when Adkins told Daugherty he could not move into a vacant tent offered to him by a man who is a convicted sex offender and was leaving the property, according to the Wooster Police report on the incident.

That man may have left, but according to a report Aug. 5, 2014, he still lived there and reported another man had kicked his cat. Adkins broke up the confrontation between the two.

In January 2013, Daugherty was told all of the tents on the land were Adkins' property, but Daugherty discredited the statement. During the argument, Adkins reportedly made his hand into a gun and pointed it at him and said, "You won't wake up tomorrow alive."

Adkins also told Daugherty his son, who is a convicted sex offender, needed to leave Tent City, too.

Adkins was arrested for the incident and the police report stated it was not the first time complaints were made against Adkins.

"Most people are too afraid to follow through on any charges since they do need to live at tent city," the report states.

Daugherty's son reported to police the next day that Adkins again threatened him via another man. The man was told to give Daugherty a message that Adkins was going to "cut him up and put him in a burn barrel."

The three men wrote out statements on the incident; Adkins did not and claimed he cannot read and write.

Later, on March 5, 2013, police responded to a verbal argument between Adkins and Daugherty when Adkins tried to eject him from the property.

Three weeks later, on March 20, Adkins threatened another man who tried to move into a vacant tent at Tent City. Adkins reportedly approached one man, who actually was helping his friend move in, and Adkins had a "small pocket knife." The man told his friend to "go get my knife" before Adkins left the scene.

And on July 29, 2013, Adkins and Daugherty were back at it when Adkins reportedly punched him 15-20 times in the head after Daugherty made a sarcastic comment.

The incident started when Adkins yelled at Daugherty that he should be going to prison, according to the police report. Daugherty reportedly said, "Whatever makes you happy Roger," and walked up the hill to leave the Tent City property. At this time Adkins attacked him from behind and was hit until he went to the ground, the report says.

Adkins told police Daugherty spit on his bicycle and kicked his cat before throwing the first punch at Adkins. Adkins said he blocked the punch and punched him in self-defense.

Growing, or forthcoming, problem?

Local police and fire personnel routinely respond to calls at Tent City. In fact, they respond so frequently Tent City has recently been assigned with an address -- 801 Madison Ave.

Since the start of the year, Fire Chief Roger Brenneman said firefighters have responded to four fire calls and 18 squad calls to the area.

While both he and Police Chief Matt Fisher said their departments are charged with responding to calls wherever they are, from the fire department's standpoint the only access point is a steep hillside from Madison Avenue.

Brenneman confirmed a firefighter injured his back (not seriously, as the firefighter is back at work) while trying to lift an overweight patient, but noted it was an instance that could happen anywhere.

But trying to extract a patient back up the hill is nonetheless a challenge.

From the police perspective, Fisher said the area is not especially well-lit and noted the steep hill downward.

"Unfortunately, we don't get to chose the environments," in which police respond to calls, Fisher said.

In reviewing calls to Tent City, their nature seems to be getting more serious.

The police department first received calls to the property in 2011; there were five calls generating no reports. Calls were for suspicious activity, telephone harassment, a mental profile and a warrant service.

The following year, there were seven calls for a suspicious vehicle, a refusal to leave and mostly thefts of items such as a bicycle, but including prescription painkillers like oxycodone, according to police reports.

In 2013, the department had 13 calls for menacing, a fight, disorderly conduct and others. Most notably in 2013 there were several calls to Tent City revolving around the dispute between Adkins and Daugherty.

'Drifter' from Texas

The most significant criminal case was the stabbing of two men on July 8, 2013, at Schellin Park.

The incident started while a group of people were gathered at Schellin Park and a man and a woman began arguing, according to the police report, which notes a 22-year-old man named William Haydu became involved, saying he would intervene and stab the man who was arguing with the woman. That led to an argument between Haydu and one of the men who was stabbed. At that point, Haydu brandished a knife and attacked the man, who suffered from a collapsed lung, said a detective who investigated the incident.

Another man was stabbed in the hand.

Haydu fled to Tent City, where he was living for at least a few weeks. Police found him "bleeding profusely from a head wound," apparently from the assault altercation earlier at Schellin Park and took him into custody by force.

Haydu's first run-in with local law enforcement took place June 17, 2013, when a caller reported he was assaulted at Tent City. Once officers arrived, they learned the complainant was not assaulted, but he wanted Haydu to leave his tent.

Haydu was found highly intoxicated and had an opened bottle of Long Island iced tea on him and was cited for having an open container in a public place.

He told the responding officer he was a "drifter" who recently arrived in Ohio from Texas. He said a police officer picked him up on U.S. Route 30 and transported him to Tent City. Haydu added he has no phone or address and "simply moved around the country according to the weather."

According to a story in The Daily Record, it appeared alcohol was involved in the stabbing incident and Haydu and the two victims were acquainted with one another.

Both of the victims were hospitalized, as was Haydu. One of his victims was convicted of drug trafficking in Wayne County in 2009.

Ultimately, Haydu was convicted of felonious assault and sentenced to two years in prison. He is serving his time at Belmont Correctional Institute. He is scheduled to get out of prison in July 2015.

The case of Haydu sparked renewed criticism and concern of the people staying at Tent City across the Wooster community, including a new round of articles in The Daily Record chronicling life with and at Tent City.

'Lovers' quarrels'

In 2014, the Police Department has responded to six calls in Tent City; two are reported rapes and the most recent incident is an aggravated menacing case and reported "lovers' quarrel."

One case involving a man and woman who lived in Tent City led the woman to seek a civil protection order against the man, according to court documents, for "constantly threatening to rape her" and repeatedly telling her he "will kill/harm her because she is not doing what he likes."

The woman who petitioned for the order July 11 stated in it she feared for her safety and the threats have taken place on and off since June 4. But Aug. 11 she decided to drop the petition herself.

The most recent case police are investigating occurred Aug. 23 when a 45-year-old woman said the man she shares a tent with threatened her with a knife to leave.

The case is under investigation, as are separate reported rapes of two women in June at Tent City.

Other acts of violence persist, as a report from May 3 illustrates, when an intoxicated man was assaulted at Tent City by an unknown assailant. The man -- who was sentenced to 17 months in prison from a 2001 case when he stabbed another man at his Buckeye Street home -- was hospitalized for lost teeth, had a broken rib and bruising from the attack.

Reporter Steve Huszai can be reached at 330-287-1645 or shuszai@the-daily-record.com. He is @GeneralSmithie on Twitter.

Want to leave your comments?

Oh ya I love all you gonna say something cause you hate people that have choice. ...you bunch of idiots....comment with hate....probably Christians of some sort....people sometimes just are feed up with government. ..tired of the societal drive that's expected...you idiots blame them because you don't see it their way...then you idiots comment about some living at tent city are felons. ...what bathroom talk...only other idiots would understand. ...where else if they don't qualify no where else are they suppose to go...paid the one alts and still paying...idiots....

anonymous_2427

September 1, 2014 7:32PM

after reading these articles and seeing whats happening 6 times a day at least. they are on private property and should b removed. just because the owner is absent doesnt mean his property should b incroached on. i nolonger take my grandchildren 2 Schellin Park as the pavillon has many tent people from morning till nite charging their cell phones, on their computers (plugged in ). this electic being supplied by the city. wonder what would happen if the neighbors down there decided 2 run an extension cord over 2 run their electronics on the cities dime. guess we can afford it since the city taxes have been raised.

gadfly

August 31, 2014 10:57AM

Now for some sarcasm.... The City could apply for some CDBG money put in some streetscape down at tent city. The Mayor could a ribbon and say a few nice words.Yup thats the ticket.

buckeye70

August 31, 2014 9:35AM

After reading these article the past two days, I don't see how anyone can think that allowing Tent City to remain in our community is a good thing. In 8 months this year there have been 24 fire/squad calls to the site, there were 6 polcie calls including 2 rapes and an agrivated menacing case. And that doesn't include all of the drug and other criminal activity that occurs in the park across the street or other places near by. People need to stop giving them food and supplies. All you are doing is freeing up what funds they have for booze and drugs.